Conditions Report: Brisk And Beautiful!
It’s going to be a cooler week but those cold temps are bringing some beautiful weather for a few days before the clouds roll in again. We will get a bit of a break from the COLD double digit temps over the weekend and will receive a bit of warmer weather into the weekend and early next week.
With the cold temperatures it is a great time to look at the emergency gear you should be bringing with you. Check out Mountain Sledders “Essential Safety Gear for Mountain Sledders!” article here.
Photo: Tim Grey / Quartz Creek / Feb 22 2022
We’ve had some issues lately with people riding in closure areas. Here’s a reminder of the Quartz Creek areas… FYI the boundary lines are not obvious, so you need to know where you can and cannot be. This photo is a perfect demonstration of what is ILLEGAL sledding.
The entirety of this photo is basically CLOSED to sledding. Please be aware.
This shows the overlay of the boundary lines as per the photo above. Fines for using a motorized vehicle in the National Parks can be as high as $25,000. It also doesn’t give sledders a very good reputation so please, stay out. There are several signs along the borders so it’s pretty hard to plead ignorance. Please make yourself aware of where you can and cannot be. Expect to see the Conservation Officers out looking for people in closures.
Plan before you Play!
TCH-1 Highway status
Check the latest conditions as it relates to the Kicking Horse Canyon highway project here:
SNOW AND WEATHER
We had a bit of snowfall this past weekend to remind us how much we love fresh snow but we still need to be patient as we’re heading into another week of dry weather with a potential dusting Saturday night.
One of our favourite weather sites is spotwx.com. You can click anywhere on the map and get multiple forecasts for the area!
Avalanche
There were some natural storm slab avalanches up to a size 2 this past week, some snowmobile triggered avalanches, as well as skier triggered avalanches. Things have calmed down a bit out there, but watch out for pockets of windslabs that might not be bonding well to those old surfaces underneath.
Always check the Avalanche Canada forecasts before heading out. You can find the link here.
Grooming
When it comes to grooming, check for planned grooms below and watch the Garmin grooming map for updates (scroll down to see grooming in REAL TIME). We are into our grooming groove now, getting after it as often as necessary and based on usage of the trails. Let us know how it is out there these days!
Trail Area Conditions Reports
Quartz Creek
The active logging is complete at Quartz but there are still rock haul trucks using the road. There is a side “bench” trail that is meant to be travelled on.
Travel slow and pay attention. Check in at the Quartz gate for the most up to date info.
Gorman Lake
Silent Pass
East Quartz
Old Man
Westbench Trail
Grooming Map
The map below is linked to the safety InReaches we have in our groomers and we have been able to make the tracks public. How to use the map:
- Press on the + next to the groomer/zone you want the latest information for.
- Once the line is visible, press on the line to see the date & time the groomer was last in action.
This map only shows the most recent groom. You can inquire at any of our trailheads for additional grooming information, including number of riders since the last groom.
